Adsorber



Jan. 16, 1934. E B MILLER 1,943,617

ADSORBER Filed NOV. 15, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l E. B. MILLER Jafi. 16, 1934;

ADSORBER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov'. -15

Jar 16,

E. B. MILLER 1,943,617

ADSORBER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 13, 1930 Jan. 16, 1934.. B, MELLER 1,943,617

ADSORBER Filed Nov. 13. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Jan. '16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ABSORBER Ernest B. Miller, Baltimore, Md., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Chester F. Hockley, Receiver for The Silica Gel Corporation, Baltimore, Md, a corporation of Maryland Application November 13, 1930 Serial No. 495,474

8 Claims. (01.183-4) This invention relates to adsorbers and more Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing, particularly to adsorbers for the removal of gashowever, but a single adsorber wherein the areous or vaporous constituents from mixtures of rangement of the adsorber beds is in the form gases or mixtures of gases and vapors. of a W instead or a V as in Figure 2 and wherein 5 It is a general object of the present invention two valves associate each duct with the casing; 60

to provide novel and improved forms of adsorb- Figure 5 is a vertical section similar to Figers and adsorber assemblies. ure 1 through a modified form of adsorber where- More particularly, it is an object of the invenin the adsorber beds are horizontal instead of tion to provide adsorbers wherein granular, advertical as in the previously disclosed forms; sorbent material is arranged in suitable beds Figure 6 is a horizontal section through a fur- 65 interposed as barriers between opposite ends of ther modification of the invention wherein the a casing in such a manner that all of the gaseous adsorbers are arranged in a plurality of horimixture passing from one end of the casing to the zontal beds grouped in banks; and

other must pass through a bed of adsorbent ma- Figure '7 is a vertical section taken on line terial '77 of Figure 6.

Among the important features of the inven- The present invention deals particularly with tion may be enumerated the following: adsorbers for handling large quantities of mixed A. The arrangement of the adsorber bed or gases or gases and vapors. Primarily the ad beds to provide a maximum area exposed to the sorbers are intended for removing moisture from gas mixtures in a chamber of minimum size. air but in no sense is the invention intended to 75 B. The provision for arranging a group of adbe limited to this use for obviously the same consorbers into a battery. struction and arrangement would be available for C. The unique manner of constructing the ada great variety of uses. The adsorbers are insorbers and appurtenances wherein the end walls tended to handle large quantities of gases and to thereof are formed by towers each including porimpart the minimum frictional resistance thereto. 80 tions of ducts adapted to communicate with the For a clear understanding of one type of apinterior of the adsorber casing. paratus in 'which such adsorbers may be used,-

D. The construction of the. adsorber casings reference may be had to my copending applicawherein the Valves controlling communication tion Serial No. 425,883, for Adsorption system,

between inlet and outlet ducts and the interior wherein the use of adsorbers in banks is clearly 85 of the casing cooperate directly with the walls disclosed. In that invention it is pointed out that of the casings. several adsorbers are required in order to obtain Other and further features and objects of the continuous operation. One or more adsorbers invention will be more apparent to those skilled are always in use fOT-adSOIbiHg and y be in the art upon a consideration of the accomconn cted in Se es Or t p At least one 130 panying drawings and following specification adsorber is always on the activation cycle or is wherein are disclosed several exemplary embodibeing cooled subsequent to activation and in ments and assemblies of adsorbers constructed some cases a separate cooling Phase iS provided according to the present invention. It is to be requi a additional adsorber.

40 explicitlyunderstood that various and sundry de- While the adsorbers may be used with y viations may be made from the accompanying available adsorbent material it is preferred that disclosure, and that combinations of the features the material be ra u s a gel f a y suitabl of the various modifications can be made without Size and 0f the y manufactured by h S ca departing from the spirit of the invention so long Gel Corporation 0f Baltimore, Ma y This 45 as these departures fall within the scope of the material is available in hard, porous granules and appended claims. is extremely satisfactory in that it can be sub- In said drawings; I ject to high temperatures for activating qr revivi- Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, central secfying without any appreciable deterioration and tion through an adsorber constructed according .because it neither swells nor ch ges its size,

50 to one form of this invention; shape or other physical characteristics when satu- Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line rated with condensed vapors. Furthermore, it 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing two adsorbers formis substantially inert chemically. ing part of a battery; The .adsorbers of the present invention are Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken constructed so that the gas or air to be treated 55 on line 3-3 of Figure 2; is passed through them from end toend and the treated air then withdrawn. The use of one adsorber is continued until the adsorbent reaches the desired degree of saturation, when the stream of untreated gas is diverted to a second adsorber and that containing the saturated adsorbent is put on the activation phase.

Conveniently, activation is accomplished by directly passing heated products of combustion through the adsorbers and for this purpose a fluid fuel is preferable. For the purpose of cooling an-adsorber, a closed circuit may be effected between the heated adsorber and a suitable air cooler, for instance, in the form of a surface condenser and air circulated in this closed circuit until the adsorbent material therein is reduced to a sufficiently low temperature to be in a condition for further adsorption.

In order that the various phases and cycles above enumerated may be conducted most economically, it is necessary to have a plurality of ducts for inlet and discharge purposes for each adsorber, for instance, each adsorber requires an inlet duct for the untreated gas, and a discharge duct for the stripped gas; an inlet duct for the hot activating gases and a discharge duct for conveying the spent activating gases to a stack; an inlet duct for the cooling gas and an outlet duct for the cooling gas. In the event that two or more adsorbers are to be used in series and advanced in their position in the series as their saturation increases, then an additional pair of ducts is required for each added stage in the adsorption cycle.

A careful perusal of the drawings and accompanying description of the various forms of adsorbers contemplated by this invention will lead to a full-understanding of the-provisions for accomplisliing the above enumerated features.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, there is disclosed a type of adsorber-in which a casing 10, substantially in the form of vahollow, rectangular parallelepipedon contains the ad sorbing elements generally indicated at '11. This casing has a closed top 12, a closed bottom 13 and side walls 14 and 14', preferably formed of sheet metal with suitable heat insulation backing and reinforced where necessary by suitable structural steel shapes.

The front and rear or end walls of the adsorber areformed, respectively, by one wall of each of the towers 15 and 16. These towers are substantially identical and each comprises a plurality of sectiofis 17, 18, 19 and 20 of horizontal ducts which sections are superimposed and may have the common, horizontal dividing walls 21, 22 and 23. Each tower is constructed and adapted to be assembled as a' unit and its inner end wall 24 closes one end of the adsorber casing. This end wall 24 is perforated by a plurality of ports, one for each duct section and each provided with a combination nozzle and valve seat 26 preferably rectangular in shape. This reinforces the edges of the port opening through the wall 24 and provides a seat for the valve disc 27 which controls communication between the corresponding duct section of the tower and the interior of the adsorber casing. Such valves are clearly disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 483,847, for Damper valves. Inthat application the valves are shown as comprising .discs 27 universally mounted on a stem 28 extending across the duct and entering a cylinder 29 containing a-suitable piston which can be -moved in either direction by means of a suitable expanding medium as, for instance, compressed air, for the purpose of closing and opening the valve as desired. The inner end of the valve stem 28 is guided on suitable antifriction rollers 30 carried on brackets 31 from the nozzle and seat member 26.

Each valve operating cylinder 29 has a tubular extension 32 provided with a ball end freely mounted between plates 33 carried by the wall of the duct opposite the port, to permit universal movement of the operating mechanism. By providing each duct and thus the tower with integral valve assemblies, the towers can be constructed complete with the valves and operating mechanism and assembled against the ends of the adsorbers.

Since the adsorbers are intended to be used in banksor batteries with adjacent sides abutting, it is possible to make the abutting walls of adjacent adsorber casings, for instance, the wall 14, serve the dual purpose of a side Wall for two casings. The towers are formed of the full width of the adsorber casings so that when the towers of adjacent casings are in position they can be secured together so that the duct sections form continuations of each other.

Each adsorber, it will be noted, is so constructed that the inlet ducts are at one end and the outlet ducts at another so that any gas in passing through the casing must move from one end thereof to the opposite end.

To insure that this gas come intimately into contact with the adsorbent material, it is interposed as a relatively thin bed or layer between opposite ends of the casing. In the form shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 there are two beds 35 which are identical. They are each formed between a pair of vertical, parallel screens 36. The screens may be made of woven metal fabric or suitably perforated sheet metal or similar material and adsorbent material contained between the screens. As clearly seen in Figure 1, the screens are provided with vertical reinforcing strips 33 suitably formed of angle iron or the like and horizontal reinforcing members 39. similarly formed. These reinforcing members form a coarse grid pver the screen to prevent bulging from the weight of the adsorbent and the pressure of the gas passing therethrough. The vertical reinforcing strips 38 on the two screens forming one adsorber bed are disposed in staggered relation as seen in Figure 2 preferably with those on one screen centered between the two on the opposite screen. In this manner if there is any bulging of the screen material due to the weight of the adsorbent material, the whole screen will assume a rather sinuous section of substantially uniform thickness so that the air'resistance throughout the area will be substantially the same, whereas if the reinforcing members were opposite each other the sections between them would remain thin and the intermediate sections would increase in thickness, thereby increasing the resistance and de-' creasing the fio'w of air through these portions so that all of the adsorbent material would not be used effectively. The screens extend fully from the bottom to the top of the casing and are suitably attached to these places in an air-tight manner.

- Each bed or layer of adsorbent material has its median plane vertical and the planes oftthe two beds in each adsorber converge. At one end the beds are spaced apart substantially the 'vvidth of the adsorber casing and at the other end they are substantially together. To prevent air leakageby the beds, the vertical ends of the beds are closed by the plates 40 having their edges suitably connected to the screens as at 41. ,At the-spaced ends of the beds, a metal sheet 42 connects each plate 40 to the adjacent end 1 wall 24'and at the end where the beds are close together. the plates are connected by angles 43 .and'a connecting sheet 44. This connecting sheet 44 is perforated for the passage of the ends of the valve stems-28 and to prevent leakage at these points the closed end cylinders 45 are tightly secured to the periphery of the openings andlfor reinforcement may be tied together as by the strap 46. The cylinders 45 permit the working of. the valve stems through the sheet 44 without permitting any leakage and without requiring stu'iiing boxes or packing which is inconvenient. tofuse at the high temperatures existing during activation.

By arranging the adsorber beds in a V formation, amaxiinum exposed area to both the inlet and the discharge gases is provided, since each of the beds has an area substantially equivalent to that, of -a side wall 14 of the casing and the combined areas of the beds are very much greater thanthe cross-sectional area of the casing. In this manner the resistance to flow in the'adsorber can be reduced to a point where it, is less than the resistance to fiow through the ducts and valve ports so that it can be considered that the 'adsorbers introduce substantially no additional'retardation to the flow of gases therethrougl if.

For convenience in introducing the adsorbent material between the screens 36, the top wall 5 of'ea'ch adsorber just above the beds is fitted with a pluralitypf tubes 51 extending into the space between thescreens 36 and these tubes are provided with suitable removable caps 52 whereby the m'aterial can be introduced and the caps then closed. 'The stripsor reimforcing members 53 fittime to time until equilibrium is established. "In Figure 4 the construction is similar to that described infconn ection with Figures 1, 2 and 3 but where large volumes of gas are to be handled it is desirable to introduce additional valves between the ducts and the adsorber casings and this 'fig-ure shows twovalves 55 controlling the fiow from each duct section 56. These valves are of similar construction to those previously described and are carried by the duct sections which form parts of similar towers. Where such i-great gas flow is required through the adsorbers,

additional exposed area of adsorber bed is desirable and for that purpose there are four adsorber beds 57 instead of two as in Figures 1, 2 and 3. These beds are arranged in the form of a 1.w as viewed in plan.

In this form of construction, the end plates 40 of contiguous ends of adsorber beds are connected by plates 58 and the two remaining ends, at the top of the W, are connected as at 59 to the side walls of the casing although they could equally as well be secured to the end walls.

lower Walls, respectively, of the casing.

In'the form of construction illustrated in Figure ,5 the adsorbent material is arranged in horizontal beds instead of in vertical beds and in'this type of construction no care need be taken to insure that the beds are initially completely filled with adsorbent nor no efiort need be made to keep them entirely filled since shrinkage of the material will not open a passageway for the gases to by-pass the bed. The casings, towers, ducts and valve construction in this form may be identical with that in the forms already described, the only difference existing in the disposition and construction of the adsorber beds. Each bed is defined as in previous forms by the parallel, spaced screens 60 arranged horizontally and between which the adsorbent material 61 is placed. The ends of the beds are closed by the vertical plates 62, and a plurality of beds' are arranged in spaced superposed position supported by the angle bars 63 suitably attached to their end plates.

In order that the full area of but one side of each bed be exposed to each end of the adsorber casing, the inclined baffles 65 are provided. Where these are between beds, their one end is secured to the. lower edge of one of the end plates 62 of the upper bed and to the upper edge of the end plate 62 of the next lower bed but at the opposite end of the bed. The sides of the plates 65 have an air-tight connection with the side Walls of the casing. The upper and lower plates 65, of course, are secured at one of their ends to the upper and These bafiles or plates not only insure that the gases pass through the beds rather than over them but in a sense direct the gases to pass substantially ver-. tically through the beds. This form of construction provides an enormous exposed area of adsorber bed Within a restricted space and prevents any possibility of leakage due to shrinkage of the adsorbent material. As viewed in Figure 5, it is preferred to have the inlet ports at the left in order that the gases being treated pass downwardly through the adsorbent material and do not tend to lift it and causechanneling.

As a further modification of the arrangement of the adsorber beds, Figures 6 and '7 illustrated another form intended for large gas fiow in which, as seen in Figure 6, two or more valves are provided at each end of the adsorber for each of the ducts'll whereby large flow can be effected. It will be noted from this drawing that the ducts are much larger in proportion than in the other forms in order that sufiicient flow can be effected without material frictional resistance. Within the casing '72 are arranged in a V formation similar to that of Figure 2, the two adsorber assemblies 73, associated with each other and the casing for gas tightness in substantially the same Way as are the beds in Figure 2. These adsorber assemblies, however, are not simple'beds of adsorbent but each comprises a plurality of horizontal beds '75, as clearly seen in Figure '7. Each one of the assemblies 73 may be likened to the ,arrangement of adsorber beds in Figure 5. The

screens 76 forming the top and bottom members of each bed are supported between the solid end plates 77 and at appropriate intervals along the sides their solid edge plates '78 are secured to vertical angle members 79 supporting them from the bottom 80 of the casing.

Between the individual beds of adsorbent are arranged the inclined bafile plates 81, disposed in 

